The advertising watchdog has cleared a criminal law firm of any wrongdoing over an advertisement that promised advice and representation to ‘keep you on the road’.

A complainant had objected to the ad for Cambridge firm Sarfo Solicitors alleging that it ‘condoned’ driving under the influence of alcohol.

The radio ad had started with the sound of a police siren and a worried sounding male voice saying: ‘How fast was I going? How many drinks have I had? I could be banned for this, I could lose my job, how will I pay the mortgage?’

Sarfo told the Advertising Standards Authority it had been at pains to emphasise the gravity of driving offences. The firm said it intended ‘to ensure that listeners would be clearly aware of how seriously such offences were viewed by the court’.

The radio advertising clearance body, the RACC, said it believed listeners would understand the ad referred to mitigating factors that could reduce punishments for driving-related offences.

And the ASA decided not to uphold the complaint as the ad did not go as far as to suggest prosecutions should or could be avoided altogether.

The watchdog concluded: ‘The ad did not imply that people could drink-drive or speed with impunity and did not condone or encourage speeding or driving under the influence of alcohol.’

The ad was investigated under rules concerning social responsibility and harm and offence, but no breaches were found and no further action was deemed necessary.